Waxing and polishing compositions



Patented Mar. 10,1936

' UNITED STATESgPATENT OFFICE spasm I I f i V wsxme AND rousnmo oomosn'lons Anderson W. Balaton and Carl W. Christensen,

111., assignors to Armour and Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 8 Claims. (01. 134-24) V This invention relates to waxing and polishing compounds and it comprises paste-like or fluid compounds composed of wax-like mixed ketones and a liquid vehicle therefor.

Most of the ordinary waxing and polishing compositions are composed of solid vegetable or animal waxes and a liquid vehicle. The more usual waxes in these compounds are carnauba, beeswax, spermaceti and Montan wax. All of the animal and vegetable waxes are esters of high molecular-weight fatty acids such as my yl palmitate. For example carnauba wax is mostly myricyl cerotate. .Spermaceti is mostly cetyl palmitate, and beeswax is composed of a mixture 15 of cerotic acid and myricyl 'palmitate. Montan wax contains a considerable amount of free fatty acids such as arachidic, behenic and lignocerlc. These waxes have melting points of from about 42 C. in the case of spermaceti to 80 C. or 90 as C. in the case of carnauba and Montan wax.

when preparing waxing onpolishing compositions these waxes are made up into paste-like or somewhat viscous fluid compounds-by admixing .the' wax with a suitable liquid vehicle. In some 25 eases the wax is emulsified in water to yield polishing and waxing compound which can be spread upon floors and then rubbed down as the water evaporates. In many instances various mixturesof waxes are usedinordertoobtainthe beneficial physical properties of the separate waxes, All of these vegetablev and animal waxes will, when properly applied, adhere rather firmly toasurface and canbewonkeduptogiveahigh However, waxes of this chdracter are not chemically inert to atmospheric conditions commonly met with. As stated they are all esters. They are not glycerine esters; they are simply the mono esters of higher fatty acids and higher monatomic alcohols. Accordingly they readllyundergo hydrolysis in the presence of moisture and they are rather easily oxidized. Wood surfaces polished withthese compounds will after a time lose brilof moisture and air. In other words they 55 not at all inert chemically.

liancy. This is because the thin film ofi-waxin Wehave now set ourselves to the problem of finding a class of compounds which would make jvery much better polishes for furniture, automo- *bile finishes, floors andthe like.

We have discovered that a class of compoimds known as 5 mixed ketones satisfies the requirement of this art. These mixed ketones have the general molecular structure a-g-nz wherein R is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic radical 9 and R, is an alkyl radical having at least eleven carbon atoms. These compounds are denoted as mixed ketones in chemical nomenclature for the reason that one of the radicals linked to the carbonyl group is an argyl or heterocyclic radical and the other radical linked to carbonyl is an alkyl group. Mix ketones are not to be confused with mixtures of different ketones,

There area great within the generic scope of our invention and among them are the following.

Melting point 'Heptadecyl phenyl ketone 59 C.

Heptadecyl p-tolyl ketone..; 6'7 C. Heptadecyl m-xylyl ltetone...i..' i 39 C. Heptadecyl p-xylyl, ketone 57 C. I Pentadec'yl m-xylyl ketone 37 "C.

' Pentadecyl p-tolyl ketone 60 "C.

p-Hethoxyphenyl pentadecyl ketone 705C. p-Ethoxyphenyl pentade'cyl ketone 69 C. Phenyl undecyl ketone -.[46 -C. p-C'hlorphenyl undecyl ketone 5'? C. p-Methol heptadecyl ketone 76 C. p-Methoxyphenyl undecyl ketone 60 C. 3 p-Phen heptadecyl'ketone 68 C. p-Phenol tridecyl ketone 53-54 C. p-Phenoxyphenyl'undecyl -ketone.. 6C. p-Nitro .phenoxyphenyl 'he'ptadecyl ketone 1'17- oc. p-Methyi phenoxyphenylheptadecyl ketone 17'7- 9 C. Alkyl phenones from lardfatty acids. Alpha naphthyi 'heptadecyl ketone 53-4 0. Alpha naphthyl pentadecyl ketone 48 C. 45

Anthracyl heptadecyl ketone (mixtures) Biphenyl heptadecyl ketone IDS-9 C. Biphenyl tridecyl ketone 102-103" C. Biphenyl undecyl ketone iii-98 C. p-Methyl biphenyl heptadecyl ketone 105-8 C.

p-Chlor biphenyl heptadecyl ketone.. 96-'1 C.

Furyl heptadecyl ketone 52.5-54 (Z2. 'Methyl furyl heptadecyl ketone Gil-9C. "Dibenzofuryl heptadecyl ketone 834C.

many compounds coming 20 Also ketones wherein the heterocyclic. radical is derived from carbazol, thiophene and fluorene.

All of these ketones are wax-like solids. Some of them are old, such as 'heptadecyl phenyl ketone, commonly called stearophenone, but many of them are new and we have separately described and claimed them in copending applications. All of them have melting points which make them suitable for use in waxing and polishing compositions. Of the compounds listed above those derived from biphenyl are of particularly great interest. It will be noted that these biphenyl ketones all have melting points around 100 C. This is some higher than substances like Montan wax and camauba wax. Hence polishing compo- 'sitions using the ketones wherein one of the radicals is biphenyl are particularly useful in polishing surfaces which may be subject to temperatures as high as the boiling point of water in norme] use. There are no polishing waxes occurring in nature which display such advantageous properties. Of even greater significance however all of the mixed ketones falling within the general scope of our invention are markedly resistantto heat. And they are-of course unaffected by mois-' ture. Hence they cannot hydrolyze and they are substantially inert chemically under all atmospherlc conditions ordinarily met with. Automobile polishes made with our ketones show greatly increased life and retain their lorilliancy over long periods of time. Moreover ourcompounds have marked improved adhesion for wood surfaces, the ordinary lacquer automobile finishes and the like.

These ltetones can be prepared in well known.

ways. Generally use is made of the Friedel Crafts synthesis. In this, the acid chloride of a higher fatty acid, for example stearyl chloride is reacted with benzene in the presence of aluminum chloride. This will give heptadecyl phenyl ketone. In a. similar manner when we wish to make the tolyl compounds we can start with toluene instead of benzene, naphthlene when making the naphthyl compounds, and so on. In a simllar way we make ketones containing any desired alkyl radicals by starting with the acid chloride of the corresponding fatty acid. Stearic acid for example is first cohverted to stearyl chloride in ways well known. Palmityl chloride yields pentadecyl ketones, and from a mixture of'lard fatty acids (chiefiyoleic acid) we can make corresponding alkyl phenones by converting the fatty acids to their corresponding acid chlorides and then reacting these substances with benzene in the presence of aluminum chloride.

in broad aspects then our invention comprises a wax or polishing composition composed of a mixed ketone as defined above and wherein the.

alkyl group generally containseleven or more carbon atoms, admixed with a suitable liquid vehicle. This liquidvehicle canbe a solvent for the wax. There are many solvents which we can use. Carbon tetrachloride, acetone and benzene are but a few of the many liquids'wlth which these waxlike ketones are miscible: We can also prepare aqueous emulsions of these ketones by simply emulsifying the ketone in water together with an emulsifying agent. The emulsifying agent can be a soap such as sodium oleate or other emulsifying agent customarily used for emulsifying other waxes such as carnauba in an aqueous vehicle. Advantageously the emulsion is passed through a colloidal mill to homogenize it. I

The consistency of our polishing compositions can be a paste-like material, similar to the many different types of semi-solid floor polishes available to-day, or it can be normally liquid such for example as the liquid type of polish sold for waxing fioors. Both of these types generally contain a major quantity of solid waxes and a minor quantity of the liquid vehicle.

We shall now give various examples of ways of practicing our invention.

To prepare a polish of waxlike paste consistency we admix about ten parts of biphenyl heptadecyl ketone with about one part by weight of a solvent such as carbon tetrachloride or benzene. Advantageously the mixture is moderately heated and stirred to incorporate the consituents into a homogeneous mixture. When the mixture cools down we obtain a thick, semi-solid plastic product similar in physical consistency to many of the ordinary semi-solid compositions sold for waxing floors or automobiles. By increasing the quantity of solvent to four parts by weight the resulting composition is a liquid-type polish and 'can be poured from a. can on to a floor and then we can of course use any of the ketones described above but ordinarily we prefer to use ketones having melting points of at least 50 C. A dvantageously we make compositions containing a mixture of these ketones. For example we prepare a mixture containing about five parts by weight of 'heptadecyl phenyl ketone, about five parts by weight of biphenyl heptadecyl ketone and about two to eight parts by weight of carbon tetrachloride or benzene. This gives us a composition, which may either be semi-solid or fluid depending upon the quantity of vehicle, in which we obtain the advantageous high melting point of biphenyl heptadecyl ketone and also the desirable properties of heptadecyl phenyl ketone. This latter substance has a somewhat lower melting point and makes it somewhat easier to rub the wax film up to a high gloss. We customarily use mixtures of high and low melting point ketones for this reason. Additionally heptadecyl phenyl ketone is somewhat less expensive than the biphenyl heptadecyl ketone.

As stated we can prepare aqueous emulsions of these ketones, and the emulsions can either be semi-solid paste-like products or liquid, flowable types. Thus for example we emulsify about ten parts by weight of heptadecyl phenyl ketone in about fifteen parts by weight of water containing about one part of sodium oleate as an emulsifier. 01 course it is to be understood that other emulsifying agents can be used and in this respect we follow the general practice customarily employed in emulsifying oils and waxes in water. In the case of emulsions the proportions can vary over a. wide range, such that the final composition will associated with smaller amounts'of ketones of the phenyl or naphthyl series.

In the customary practice of our invention however we prefer to use the less costly phenyl, naphthyl, and biphenyl compounds. We have,

however, disclosed a number of ketones wherein one of the radicals is heterocyclic. These are the furyl compounds, the carbazols, the thiophenes aoaauaa and. the fluoryls. We have done this to indicate the generic characteristics of our invention.

Although we have referred more specifically to the use of our ketones as the major wax constituent in our compositions, we can of course admix our ketones with other kinds of polishing waxes. For example we can prepare a wax composed of about equal parts of biphenyl heptadecyl ketone and carnauha wax and then emulsify this mixture in water or incorporate a volatile solvent. Instead of using carnauba we can use beeswax,

Montan wax and any of the other waxes hitherto used in compositions of this character. The proportions can vary over a wide range and the addition of as little as one part of biphenyl heptadecylketone to eight parts of camauba or Montan wax is beneficial, and the resulting composition when taken up in a liquid vehicle, is improved by volatile solvent type compositions in paste-like cakescontain a major quantity of a solid constituent but some of the liquid types, namelythe emulsions may containsixty percent or more of aqueous vehicle. Accordingly in the appended claims we do not wish to limit ourselves, in the case of emulsions, to any particular quantities of aqueous vehicle and wax.

As stated, many of the ketones which we useare new materials. In our copending applications we have described and claimed them as such. In

our copending application Serial Number 17,873,

filed April 23, 1935, we have claimed themixed phenoxy phenyl alkyl ketones, in our copending application Serial Number 17,874, filed April 23, 1935, we have claimed the mixed diphenyl alkyl ketonesdn our copending application Serial Num= ber 17,875, filed April 23, 1935, we have claimed the mixed furyl alkyl ketones, and in our application Serial Number 48,940, filed. November 8, 1935 as a division of Serial Number 17,875, we have claimed the benzofuryl alkyl ketones.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. A' composition for waxing or polishing comprising a major quantity of a wax constituent including a ketone, and a minor quantity of a liquid vehicle for the wax constituent, the ketone having the general structure wherein R is a radical chosen from the group consisting of carbocyclic and heterocyclic radicals, and R is an alkyl radical containing at least eleven carbon atoms.

2. The composition as in claim one wherein the liquid vehicle is a volatile solvent.

3. A composition for waxing or polishing comprising a major quantity of a wax'constituent including a waxy aralkyl ketone and a minorquantity of a liquid vehicle.

4. The composition as in clairnthree wherein the liquid vehicle is a volatile solvent.

5. The composition as in claim three wherein a the ketone is a waxy biphenyl-alkyl ketone.

6. A composition for waxing or polishing comprising an aqueous emulsion of a ketone having the general structure wherein R is a radical chosen from the group consisting of carbocyclic and heterocyclic radicals, and-R is an alkyl radical containing at least eleven carbon atoms.

'7. A composition for waxing or polishing comprising an aqueous emulsion of a waxy aralky] ketone.

8. The compositions as in claim seven wherein the ketone is a waxy biphenyl-alkyl ketone.

ANDERSON W. RALSTON. CARL W. CHRISTENSEN. 

